I found out coworker is homophobic and I don’t know how to feel
I am heterosexual and I wholeheartedly support the right for anyone to be who they want to be. I have zero issue with anyone in the LGBTQ+ community and cheer with y’all from the sidelines.
I started a job in a rural city at a small healthcare office as a provider. The owner is another provider who is on medical leave, and there is one other provider in the office that works on the days I don’t. We overlap for one afternoon so I have met her before. She seems like a nice person, although we haven’t really spoken much.
We recently started looking for support staff because one is retiring soon and we need a replacement.
First applicant that comes in for a working interview has some facial and neck tattoos, which I can understand be potentially frowned upon with our office setting and generally more conservative clientele. This applicant is also gay and married.
I met this individual on Monday and found him to be a very pleasant person with lots of potential for the role. Great towards clients, asked lot of questions, took notes, really seemed eager to learn.
Everyone else in the office (7 others) really liked him too.
My coworker also met him briefly and I overhead him tell my coworker about his husband. Their encounter seemed very cordial.
Fast forward to today, I am told we won’t be hiring that person because my coworker thought he was unprofessional with clients (not anything any other person witnessed), coworker is also uncomfortable around him, and also that she refused to come into the office if he was going to be there.
She ended up calling out the second day he came in which threw the whole office in disarray.
Since the boss is on leave, she received a text from the coworker saying she did not want to work with that person. When offered as a solution for him to come in only on the days she is out, the coworker refused and did not want him even in the building (even if she wasn’t there).
She gave the boss and ultimatum. “Me or him” situation.
As my coworker is a long time standing employee, it was no shock that the boss decided to keep searching for more help.
I am disappointed in my boss for her decision (I don’t know her well but heard she does not share the same sentiment as the coworker) but understand why she decides as such.
My coworker and I don’t have a huge connection together, but I honestly feel disappointed that I even have to work with someone filled with such negative views. I am not sure if it was the tattoos or the fact that he was gay (leaning more to this as I learned she is very religious).
I don’t mind having differing views on anything, but this is a healthcare facility and I do believe differences like this should be set aside. I am not even sure how she’d react if she met a gay person as a client.
I normally try to befriend my coworkers since I work in very small offices. I will have to work and communicate with my coworker over time and while I can still stay very professional, this situation will always be in the back of my mind.
I’m not sure how to personally navigate this and just wanted to just rant about it.